Duende Productions is delighted to collaborate with Centennial Vineyards Restaurant to present this one-off event in the world premiere season of ‘The Waltz’ by David Cole, which will take place at the restaurant on Wednesday, July 27.
After four sold out performances across Regional NSW, the smash hit new Australian play - which has audiences raving - is finally coming to the Southern Highlands, with a unique evening of first class dining and theatre.
Directed by Dave Letch, The Waltz tells the story of a pair of ageing sixties radicals (played by Pauline Mullen and Martin Sanders) who refuse to let society - or anybody else for that matter - dictate how they’re going to spend their final days here on Earth.
Written by David Cole, the play is as tender as it is heart wrenching. Cole has had a long association with a number of theatre companies - including The Street in Canberra - and is well known for his unique voice and ability to mix comedy and tragedy. He says this script was born of the idea that you’re never too old to be young at heart.
“I was spending a bit of time in Sydney in 2015, and I came across a number of ‘golden oldies’ in the pools around Bondi, and they were really grabbing life by the throat,” he explained.
“At the same time, I was also reading a book which was all about these people who were flouting authority back in the 50s and early 60s.”
Cole said the idea of being old and rebellious really appealed to him. It was this same dichotomy that would later cause Letch to fall in love with the characters too.
“Too often,” says Letch, “especially with older people, we say, ‘Oh, don’t act like that, it’s embarrassing’, and I think, well why? Or you hear people say, ‘Oh I’m too old to do that’, but I don’t think like that at all. The play is about living life and never letting your inner child die. You’re never too old to grow. Irene and Alf just have a great deal of fun and I think that’s great.”
Letch is well known in the Australian film and theatre industry, with decades worth of credits to his name. He most recently directed a production of ‘A Tree Falling’, by award winning playwright Ron Elisha. He has also collaborated with Oscar nominated screenwriter Jonathan Hardy and worked on the groundbreaking Australian TV shows Division 4 and Homicide.
Over the course of his career he has learnt to spot writing that will stand the test of time and says The Waltz definitely falls into that category. In fact, he believes it may even be considered an Australian classic one day.
“The Waltz never lets you down,” Letch said.
“It's chewy, it’s visceral, it has meat on the bones, it has guts, and most of all, it’s really funny while also being really heart wrenching. The characters are just a pair of bo-ho hippies and it makes you think: good for them.”
Reservations for this exclusive event are strictly limited. The evening will begin at 6pm with arrival for drinks and supper, with showtime set to begin at 7.15pm. The evening will be capped off by a Q&A with the cast, writer and director.
Reservations: $95 per person.